(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle security system and more particularly to a vehicle security system adapted to selectively and pseudo-randomly and/or non-uniformly activate a horn or other audible and/or visual alarm in a "human-like" manner in response to a "panic" type signal selectively generated and/or transmitted by a user and/or operator of the security system, or in response to an alarm "trip" condition. This invention also relates to a portable alarm system which may be selectively worn by a person or placed upon an object to be protected.
(2) Background of the Invention
Vehicle security systems are normally deployed within vehicles to prevent and/or to diminish the probability that the vehicle will be tampered with, stolen, and/or destroyed or damaged. While many of these vehicle security systems provide these theft prevention and/or deterrence features, such as disabling the starter of the vehicle when the system is placed into an "armed" mode or condition, they also provide an additional "panic type" feature which allow a user of these systems to selectively activate a siren or other audible device (e.g. the horn of the vehicle) in response to a threatening situation and for the purpose of attracting attention to the vehicle or to the owner/user of the vehicle or security system. For example, a housewife, parked in a supermarket parking lot and "loading" her automobile with groceries, may be accosted by a thief or criminal. By pressing a switch on her vehicle security transmitter, the housewife may cause the siren and/or horn to become activated. Such activation may be sufficient to scare the thief away and leave the housewife safe since a thief or assailant does not normally want to have attention drawn to him. These "panic" features and associated vehicle security systems are described, for example and without limitation, within U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,867 ("the '867 patent") entitled "Vehicle Security Apparatus", which issued on Sep. 17, 1991, which is assigned to Applicants' assignee, and which is fully and completely incorporated herein by reference, word for word and paragraph for paragraph. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,056 ("the '056 patent") entitled "Vehicle Security System", which issued on Sep. 8, 1998 and which is assigned to Applicants' assignee is also fully and completely incorporated herein by reference, word for word and paragraph for paragraph.
While these "panic" features have allowed for the selective generation of substantially uniform "noise" they have generally failed to provide the level or amount of desired deterrence that they have sought. That is, these prior vehicle security systems have, in a "panic" or "alarm trip" situation, provided regularly and/or substantially regularly and/or uniformly timed noise or sound/siren/horn activation. In fact, it is this regularly timed "noise" which is generated and/or transmitted during "false alarms". The noise simply "sounds artificial" and not generated by a human being. In fact, these "false alarms" and the generation of this "artificial" noise have become so commonplace that this uniform and regularly timed "noise" is often ignored, even when truly generated in a threatening "panic" or "alarm trip" type situation. In essence, the "panic" or "alarm trip" generated noise simply doesn't sound like noise generated by a human being in a real life-threatening situation. It sounds "phony".
Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a vehicle security system having a "panic" feature which provides for "real life" and non-uniform sounds which are adapted to attract attention to the vehicle and/or to the person causing the sounds to be generated. There also exists a need to provide such a "panic" feature on or as part of systems that do not comprise vehicle security systems but which may be employed upon a vehicle, a person, and/or upon another object. There is also a need for a vehicle security system or portable security system to provide this improved sound upon the occurrence of an alarm "trip" condition which arises when the security system senses the occurrence of undesired vehicle, individual, and/or object tampering or displacement.